Ricciardo leads McLaren 1-2 as Hamilton and Verstappen collide

Daniel Ricciardo has returned McLaren to winning ways, as the Australian driver led home teammate Lando Norris at Monza to claim the Woking-based team's first victory since the 2012 Brazilian Grand Prix.

Ricciardo led Sunday's race from start to finish, having got the jump on pole-sitter Max Verstappen off the line as the Red Bull driver had a hesitant start when the lights went out.

Ricciardo's race was made somewhat easier midway through as a disastrous pit-stop for Verstappen took the Red Bull away from the McLaren's gearbox, before there was further drama when Verstappen collided with Lewis Hamilton to add further tension to the championship battle.

Following a lengthy Safety Car intervention, Ricciardo was able to control the remainder of the race, while Norris settled in behind in the second McLaren after a brave pass on Ferrari's Charles Leclerc.

Red Bull's Sergio Perez finished in third on the road, but fell off the podium as a result of a five-second time penalty for holding onto position ahead of Leclerc, after passing the Ferrari by going off the track at the second chicane. With Perez shuffled back, it was Mercedes' Valtteri Bottas who inherited the final spot on the podium after a combative drive from the very back of the grid.

Hamilton and Verstappen collide

Verstappen and Hamilton went wheel-to-wheel through the first chicane as Hamilton came out of the pits, with Verstappen using his momentum to draw alongside the Mercedes as Hamilton merged back onto the track on Lap 26.

Verstappen hung on around the outside of the right-hand part of the chicane, before the pair made contact at the apex of the left-hander. Verstappen hit the sausage kerb and was sent flying, his Red Bull getting pitched over the top of the Mercedes.

Both drivers came to a halt in the gravel trap, with the Red Bull sitting atop the Mercedes. Replays showed the Halo on Hamilton's car took the full brunt of the weight from the Red Bull as it came to rest.

Neither driver was injured and clambered out separately to trudge back to the pits without any apparent conversation between the pair. Verstappen, fuming on the radio, could be heard saying: "This is what happens when you don't leave space."

Verstappen had been running comfortably in second place behind Ricciardo during the first stint of the race, having managed to resist a strong challenge from Hamilton on the opening lap that forced the Mercedes driver to back off and fall down to fourth. A disastrous pit-stop for Verstappen dropped him down the order, which is how he ended up being in position alongside Hamilton when the Mercedes driver pitted.

The incident is the second coming together between the two title protagonists this season, following their controversial clash at the British Grand Prix, with the points gap remaining at five between the pair, in Verstappen's favour.

A tense final stint

With Bottas running the Mediums for the second stint of the race, the Finn looked as though he might be able to storm through past the Hard tyre-shod McLarens and Perez, but his pace fell off with around 15 laps to go.

Bottas' Medium tyres dropping away allowed Perez to lead the Finn home on-track, but the Mexican fell down to fifth as a result of his time penalty. Ferrari's Charles Leclerc finished fourth as a result, ahead of Perez, with the other Ferrari of Carlos Sainz in sixth.

Aston Martin's Lance Stroll finished in seventh place, but is being investigated for going too quickly under the yellow flags late in the race. Alpine's Fernando Alonso finished in eighth, ahead of Williams' George Russell in ninth and Alpine's Esteban Ocon claiming the last points place in 10th, despite a five-second time penalty for pushing Sebastian Vettel's Aston Martin wide at the second chicane.

Williams' Nicholas Latifi finished in 11th, with Vettel in 12th after a disastrous first lap. The German was pushed aside by Stroll at the first Lesmo, with the resulting loss of momentum seeing him lose four positions. Alfa Romeo's Antonio Giovinazzi finished in 13th after a first-lap clash with Sainz at the second chicane, with the other Alfa Romeo, Robert Kubica, finishing in 14th. Haas' Mick Schumacher was the last classified finisher, after being spun out by teammate Nikita Mazepin at the second chicane.

Mazepin himself retired with an apparent technical problem at Ascari late in the race, with Hamilton and Verstappen being the high profile retirements from the race. Also retiring were the two AlphaTauris, as Pierre Gasly was forced to withdraw after a single lap with an apparent technical issue, while Yuki Tsunoda didn't start the race after an issue was found on his way to the grid.